The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-19

linuis was nm exclusively agricultural state
there would not be city within her limits
unless il might be Chicago, and that could
MT suppurta population OF 10000; and IL
entire wealth would be less than the value
Of It's lands today, When, On the contrary
Illinois manufactures all that II Is possible
and profitable for her to produce, dozens OF
her cities will exceed 100000 inhubitan,,
each Chicago will rival the city Of London
In population and in wealth, AMI rhe land'
of the state Will be worth tlVe.fold what
they would be If she confined herself ex
clusively 10 agriculture ana supplied hei
other wants by trade.
The value Of manufactures Is that II
multiplies agricultural values that II stops
not with mere profits on annual product
profits on annual product are the least par,
Of the profits Of manufacturing toa state
While the state paysa mere pittance To es
tabii.h and foster manufactures, they In
turn reflect value upon the state thous
and fold greater than is extorted Dy TEN
porary taxation from the people 10 estab
lish them. That Illinois can produce more
cOttOns by raising com and wheat than she
could by manufacturing her cottons di-
rectly Is .Dt conclusive reason why she
should continue 10 make the exchange; on
the contrary, 1t is the best reason why
the agricultural interest should arouse II.
self TO prevent the trade-should tax itself
by protection, If need be, TO establish and
foster the manufacture Of co,tons here. As
have before contemplated 10 show, the
difference between an agricultural and a
manufacturing state is precisely the differ.
ence between South Carolina and Massa.
Il. usetts.
Were cotton manufactures once estaO
lished In Illinois, why could not cotton be
manufactured as cheaply here as there
Our building material Is as cheap; our fuel
is as cheap, and cheaper our water power
is rs extensive and AS cheaDly utilized; our
steam power is cheaper, because Of cheaper
fuel; our labor Is as energetic and intelli-
gent Our raw material would be cheaper
here than there, because nearer the home
of its production. No Legitimate reason
can be given why our cottons may not be
produced as cheiply here as In Connect.
cut, when once the industry Is established /;
ana the money that is now paid In making
the exchange between the states If paid as
a bonus to encourage Its manufacture here,
would establish 1t beyond question, after
which we would produce our cottons here
as cheaply as they could be produced In
Connecticut; thereafter there would be a
clear saving of the labor now expended In
making the exchange, which saving, In Its
turn, would add to the productive power of
the state.
This establishment of cotton manufac.
turing in Illinois would not merely give TO
our state the dividends now made In the
Connecticut mills as profits upon their
product; II would add a
Lowell and Lawrence and Fall River TO
our cities; it would give TO the agricultural
interest of the state what those cities give
to the whole of New England, and more,
because the lands of Illinois are much
more productive and profitable than the
lands of New England Take the cities
from New England which have been es-
tablished by manufactures, and It's lands
would be worth least of any lands in Amer
lea, and all property would decline In pro.
portion. Add those cities to the cities of
Illinois and you quadruple the wealth OF
the agricultural interests of our state. New
England at first opposed protection Her
great senator, Daniel Webster, while yet u
representative, made a powerful argument
against the tariff of 1924. 1t was forced
upon New England against her will The
result Is seen and felt by all the civilized
world
New Improvements In the application of
the power Of steam renders 1t even cheaper
than water power and more desirable. Cot
tons, when once the industry Is established,
can be manufactured cheaper in Chicago
than In Lowell; and what Lowell now is
In miniature, Chicago then would be in
magnitude. Our own city of Ottawa could
manufacture rs cheaply and successfully
as any city in New England; and 1t is
within her choice to continue city of 5000
or TO make herself city of $4,000 inhabi.
tants 1t Is mere question Of whether
she will herself become great manufac-
turing center, or grow moss and allow 9th.
ers to manufacture for her. And the ques-
ton as vitality affects the state nj large as
the city.
The freedom of trade between the states
Is often used as an argument for freedom
everywhere. There is no analogy; and
the fact still remains, that all which per
taius to human welfare first takes up It's
abode within the state that manufactures.
1t is this value that manufacturing gives 10
all other kinds of property within the
state which iustities system of encour-